1992 issue 8 - westminster christian academy: blessings follow obedience - counsel of chalcedon

8/12/2019 1992 Issue 8 - Westminster Christian Academy: Blessings Follow Obedience - Counsel of Chalcedon

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/1992-issue-8-westminster-christian-academy-blessings-follow-obedience- 1/2

(IntlieMay 1991 issue of

TheCounsel

o

Chalcedon

we published an articleby

Rev. T.MarkDuncanentitled, ominiqn

Through

Education which detailed the

philosophy of education and goals of

Westtninster Christian Academy

in

Opelousas, LA. Thisarticleisa follow-up

to that one and appeared recently in The

Opelousas Daily News

written by staff

writerRonDelhomme. We thought you

would

be

encouraged to hear about the

success of this particular endeavor and

encourage you to write us and let us

know about similar successes in your

community -The Editor)

A 75 percent growth

in

the last

three years

combined

with

phenomenal test scores attest to the

success

of

Westminster Christian

Academy, now one of the three largest

Christian schools in Louisiana.

Headmaster Mark Stout says that

Westminster's success is a result of a

reliance

on

God, an insistence on

excellence

and service

to

the

community.

These old-fashioned vinues are as

fresh at Westtninsteras the wildflowers

that grow

in

the fields surrounding its

campus.

Three years ago, 45 students were

enrolled in

high school there, Stout

said. This year, there will be 145.There

were 25

in

last year's graduating class.

The rapid growth

of

Westminster

in

recent years doesn't surprise Stout.

The reasons,

in

fact, are very clear to

him. We're committed to excellence

in everything we

do:

he

said. Being a

Christian school, we want to honor

Jesus Christ

in everything-in

academics,athleticsandinourspititual

program.

The teachers

and

staff

at

Westminster are dedicated people who

see theirrole asa ministry,notasajob

Stout said. As a result, they are willing

to go the extra mile for less pay than

the public

schools: he

said, adding

that about 70 percent of them have

their master's degrees. And also as a

result, Stout said, God's blessing has

been upon Westminster. That, of

course, is the most imponant reason

for the resounding growth.

Another reason for Westtninster's

success is the effons the school has

made to reach out and minister to the

community through the Jesns Cares

program which

provides food,

clothing

and

toys to the needy of the

area, and through Workathon Projects,

during which Westtninster students

will be seen piclting

up

litter along the

highways, doing clean-up

and

fix-up

work for elderly

and

handicapped

families, and generally giving back to

the community.

24 THE COUNSEL

of

Chalcedon September

992

We teach volunteerism, Stout

says, and a member of his family is

shOwing how.

Stout's

15

year-old son, Micah, isa

missionary in the Ukraine this snmmer,

helping to build a training camp along

theBlack Sea for Russian youngsters to

learn how to minister to others.

Pinally, there is a demand for what

Westtninster has been offering since it

was founded in 1978, Stout said.

Thisis a place where parents know

their children

are

safe where they

know they will get a qUality education

and where they will develop moral

fiber with a Biblical base to it,

Stout

said.

Enrollment at the three campuses

is expected to top 750 students when

school stans

in

August, Stout said.

About 550 will be at the main pre-K

through 12th grade campus in

Opelousas, with the rest at the

Ville

Platte and Lafayette campuses. This

represents an increase of 100 students

over last year.

Westtninster is proud of its Talent

Development Program, nowbeginning

its second year, which ministers to

and educates children with attention

deficit disorder, dysleida

and

other

learning disabilities. About 35 students

are enrolledin the program, which has

a 10:1 pupil-teacher ratio.

The test scores at Westminster are

the envy

of

the state, with 7th graders

scoring at post highschoollevels. Even

5

year-olds

after

two years

at

Westminster, test above

the

90th

percentile, which means they are

scoring better than 90 percent

of

the

students in the nation who take the

same test.

Our seniors' average ACT score is

25, Stout said. The average

in

Louisiana is 19.

WCA, continued on page

28

8/12/2019 1992 Issue 8 - Westminster Christian Academy: Blessings Follow Obedience - Counsel of Chalcedon

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